Electric water heater



July 2, 1946. R. A. BLANCHARD ELECTRIC WATER HEATER Filed May 20, 1944 I2A Sheets-Sheet 1 July 2, 1946 R. A. BLANCHARD ELECTRIC WATER HEATER Filed May'20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 2, 1946 Unirse 1sermua1-s PATENT -oFFrcE vELECTRICWATER HEATER RalphfA..Blan-chard, Portland, Oreg.

ApplicationjMay 20, 1944, Serial No.53'6g502 l1 Claim.

This invention relatesgenerally `tothe heating of liquids and particularly to an electric water heater.

The main object of this invention is to construct a water heater whereby water may be heated as drawn from a supply system without the necessity of storing same in a tank or employing electric energy at a rate not obtainable from the ordinary lighting circuit.

The second object is to produce a heater of the class described which will occupy a minimum amount of space and can be enclosed within a wall space or mounted on a plumbing xture without presenting an objectionable appearance or being in the way.

The third object of this invention is to produce a heater of the class described in which the fluid being heated is employed as a resistor and circuit closer, and in which means is included for adapting the device to various types of water, that is as far as the mineral content thereof is concerned.

I accomplish these and other objects in a manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig, 1 is a plan of the device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3 3 in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 4 4 in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken along the line 5 5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken along the line 6 6 in Fig. 3.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the invention, there is shown a base Ill having a depending body I I provided with a vertical passageway I2 which is controlled by the needle valve I3 whose threaded stem I4 is provided with a lock nut I5. The body is provided with a threaded cap I6 for the purpose of discouraging tampering with the setting of the valve I3. Cold water is admitted to the body Il by means of the supply pipe I1.

Also depending from the base l0 is a hot water manifold I8 to which is connected the open hot water pipe I9. It will be understood that the pipe I9 is not valved but must be open to the atmosphere at all times.

Depending from the center of the body I0 is a boss 20 which is tapped to receive the vertical Aclamping-boltl. 'The-upperfend B21-of the-pas `sageway'l 2 is somewhat enlarged.

:Resting upon the'base lBrand-surroundingthe bolt 2| is the hard rubber or plastic cup -23,- whose bottom 24 is provided with an annular groove 25 having an outlet opening 26, which communicates with the opening 21 in the manifold I8 through which hot water escapes through the pipe I9. The bottom 24 has a boss 28 on its under side which ts into the opening 22 and serves to locate the parts I 0 and 23 with relation to each other. A gasket 29 is interposed between the members I6 and 24 around the boss 28.

The cup 23 has a tubular center 30 which extends somewhat above the sides of the cup 23 and through which center the bolt 2| extends.

Outside of the annular groove 25 and close to the interior of the cup 23 is a tapering passageway 3| which passes through the boss 28. A tubular casing 32 surrounds the cup 23 and extends somewhat above its outer edge. A conical carbon electrode 33, having a tubular metallic liner 34 is mounted on the center 36 and has disposed above and below same the metallic washers 35. These washers are interchangeable to vary the vertical position of the electrode 33 by merely varying the number of washers under the electrode.

Surrounding the electrode 33 and spaced therefrom is an outer carbon electrode 36 whose conical interior 3l converges downwardly to the outer circumference to the groove 25. The electrode 36 rests upon the bottom 24. The electrode 36 is enclosed within the metallic casing 38, which is spaced from the inner surface of the cup 23. The space 33 between the members 23 and 38 communicates with the passageway 3| through which cold water enters the device. The casing 36 extends above the electrode 36 to a cover plate 40, which also rests upon the upper edge of the cup 23. The portion of the casing 38 above the cup 36 is provided with openings 4| through which water can pass from the space 39 downwardly through the clearance space 42 between the electrodes 33 and 36.

Over the cover plate 40 is placed a head 43 in which are embedded the binding posts 44 and 45, the uppermost portions of which are embedded in the cap 467 which is held in place by a collar 41 and the clamping nut 48 on the bolt 2|. A ferrule 49 extends across the junction of the members 43 and 46. Secured to the binding posts 44 by means of a screw 50 is the bus bar 5|, which is integral with or secured to the casing 38.

Secured to the binding posts 45 by means of the screw 52 is the washer 53 which rests on the uppermostl washer 35. An insulating disc 54 separates the washer 52 and the bus bar 5I.

Channels 55 are formed between the members 43 and I6 to admit the leads 56 from a power line. The leads 56 are secured to the binding posts 44 and 45 by means of the set screws 51.

Numerous devices are on the market for heating water electrically, some of which employ water as a resistor. However, such devices have not proved satisfactory owing to the variation in the mineral content of the water in various 1ocalities requiring a great variety of electrode sizes. With the construction above described, it 1s only necessary to move the washers 35 above or below the electrode 33 in order to vary the gap formed by the space 42 until the desired neating rate is obtained. This adjustment in conjunction with the setting of the needle valve I3, enables the user to control the temperature of the water and draw from the outlet the maximum amount of water heated to the desired temperature.

While I am aware that the principle of utilizing a fluid as a circuit closure in the form of a resistance which will heat the uid passing therethrough, is old, and I do not intend to cover such devices broadly but I do intend to cover such modications as fall fairly Within the appended claim and which are directed to my improvements over the prior art,

I claim:

In a device of the class described, a combination of a cup of insulating material having an outer cylindrical electrode disposed therein, the interior of which is conical, a central conical electrode whose exterior is spaced from the interior of the outer electrode, means for adjusting the axial relationship of the two electrodes, a valved orce in the bottom of said cup adapted to control the flow of water through the space around the outer electrode, and means for supplyingcurrent to said electrodes when Water bridges the gap therebetween,

RALPH A. BLANCHARD. 

